Seam for fourdrinier wire



' June 1, 1965 A. "r. GODSCHALX ETAL 3,

SEAN FOR FOURDRINIER WIRE Filed March 4. 1963 INVENTORS ADRIAN T. GODSCHALX BRUCE B. PURDY JOHN I.VLOSSAK ATTOQNEY 3,186,663 W SEAM FOR FOURDRINIER WIRE Adrian T. Godschalx, Bruce B. Purdy, and John I. Vlossak, Appleton, Wis., assignors to Appleton Wire Works Corp., Appleton, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin 1 Filed Mar. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 262,753 6 Claims. (Cl. Z45-10) The present invention relates to seams for woven wire cloths composed of metallic warp and weft strands, wherein opposite ends of said cloth are juxtaposed and joined together by a fused metal joint, and the joint and adjacent warp and weft strands of the fabric are enclosed in a metallic jacket. 7

Continuous woven wire cloths fabricated by joining opposite ends of a cloth in a seam are used extensively in the paper industry in connection with the so-called Fourdrinier paper machine. Such woven wire cloths, called Fourdrinier wires," must have fine mesh, smooth wire strands and must be uniform throughout so that water in a paper or pulp web carried on the wire will drain properly, and fibers will not adhere thereto, so as to leave the web without undesired marks and thin spots. A particular problem arises in the fabrication of Fourdrinier wires in achievingl a seam which will not interrupt the uniformity of the wire. and which, at the same time, will have the same strength and wear qualities as the wire.

Generally, seams in Fourdrinier wires have been more vulnerable to corrosion-and fatigue than the wire itself. Deterioration of the seams, it is believed, results from a variety of circumstances including the juxtaposition of the diverse metals of the strands used inathe wire and the solder used in the seams, the liquids flowing through the wire, breakdown of the crystal structure of the strands as a result of the heat applied in fusing the metal of the joint, and preferential fatigue resulting from the fused metal of the joint. As a result of these problems, considerable effort hasbeen directed toward improving the seams. Nevertheless, the development of new and improved strands for use in weaving Fourdrinier wires has significantly increased the life of the wire itselfover that of existing seams.

The present invention overcomes, .in large measure, the problems encountered with such seams and provides seams with durability equivalent to the wire itself. That result is accomplished by depositing a thin metal jacket about the fused metal joint and the strands of the wire adjacent to the joint. That thin metal jacket protects the joint and adjacent strands from wear and corroding liquids encountered in paper making,- while enhancing the functional attributes of the wire in the seam area. The thinness of the jacket does not interfere with the necessary flexibility of the wire, but it does lend a slight, uniform firmness so that a flatter surface will be presented to the web. Moreover, the metallic jacket is smooth, fine-grain, nonporous and so thin as not to interfere with drainage of liquid through the interstices of the wire and thus it provides an ideal surface for the formation of a paper web.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a metal jacketed seam for a wire cloth.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a seam for a wire cloth, which seam is highly resistant -to corrosion.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a seam for a wire cloth, which seam is enclosed in a durable jacket.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a jacketed seam for a wire cloth which seam is charac- United States Patent Patented June 1, 1965 terized by a highly uniform, smooth, nonporous surface of the seam area.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a jacketed seam area in a wire cloth without materially affecting the interstitial areas between the strands of the cloth in the seam area.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a metal jacketed seam area for a wire cloth without producing preferential fatigue points in the seam area.

The foregoing and other objects will appear in the description to follow. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof and in which there is shown by way of illustration a specific embodiment in which: this invention may be practiced. This embodiment will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice this invention, but it is to be understood that other embodiments of the invention may be used and that structural changes may be made in the embodiment described without departingfrom the scope of the invention. Consequently, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense; instead, the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged portion of a woven wire cloth including a seam embodying the present invention, and

FIG. 2 is a view in section of the seam taken along line 22 in FIG. 1. f

The drawing is intended to illustrate the novel features of a seam embodying the present invention, and no attempt is made to preserve scalar proportions. As a result, it may appear that a metallic jacket of quite substantial thickness is formed about rather bulky strands, whereas, in truth, strands of very minute cross section are enclosed in a metallic jacket which, at its thickest point, is of the highesttenuity, as will be brought out later. Hence, FIGS. 1 and 2 are not to be viewed as scale drawings of a seam, but rather as illustrative representations of the present invention.

Referring now specifically to the drawing, FIG. 1 illustrates a portion ofa Fourdrinier wire containing a scam I where opposite ends 2 and 3 of a Fourdrinier wire are joined by a fused metal joint 4. The end 2 appearing on the left side of FIG. 1 has warp strands 5 and 'weft strands 6, and the end 3 on the right side of FIG. I has warp strands 7 and weft strands 8. (In fact, the warp strands 5 and 7 may be merely opposite ends of the same strand, but they are given distinctive reference numerals here for convenience sake.) The warp strands 5 and 7 in the opposite ends 2 and 3 of the Fourdrinier wire are secured in abutting relationship, one to another, by the fused metal joint 4. I

A metallic jacket 9 is formed about the joint 4 and each of the warp strands 5 and 7 and weft strands 6 and 8 adjacent to the joint 4. 'It will be noted that the jacket 9 is thickest at the joint 4 and the immediately adjacent ends of the warp strands S and 7 and the closest weft strands 6 and 8. As the jacket 9 on each warp strand 5 and 7 becomes more remote from the joint 4, the jacket 9 tapers progressively thinner. Similarly, the jacket 9 on each weft strand 6 and 8 removed further from the joint 4 is thinner than the jacket 9 on the weft strands 6and 8 closer to the joint 4. Hence, the jacket 9 on the seam 1 may be described as being thickest near the joint 4 and tapering gradually thinner away from the joint 4.

In FIG. 2 the metallic jacket 9 is illustrated more clearly in section about the warp strands 5 and 7, weft strands 6 and 8 and the fused metal joint 4. In the embodiment shown, the warp strands 5 and 7 are bronze and} the weft strands 6 and 8 may be stainless steel or bronze.

amass acid, and the conventional bronze, or any other metal which has the requisite fusion temperature and ductility, and which is wettable by the particular solder used. For example, if a gold solder is used, a nickel insert '11 has been found to be preferable.

Hence, it is possible that in the joint 4, no less than eight and maybe more different metals may bein mutual contact. The joint 4 like the rest of the wire may be immersedin a wide variety of liquids, depending upon the paper making process used and the water supply available. It sometimes happens that different portions of the same wire may be immersed in chemically different fluids. Hence, the conditions necessary for corrosion of various sorts are frequently created at the scam I of a wire, and the heat applied to fuse the solder also breaks down and changes the crystal or granular structure of the strands 5, 6, 7 and 8 themselves near the joint 4, making them more vulnerable to corrosion and wear. Finally, the joint 4 itself may create an area of preferential fatigue at the seam 1.

' The jacketed seam 1 of the present invention has been found to be of particular value on bronze wires and bronze and stainless steel wires, although other wires may also have jacketed seams. To make a specific embodiment of the invention a loop of bronze and stainless steel wire or bronze wire including the scam I is immersed in an electrolyte containing 170 grams of nickel sulfate, 25 grams ofnickel chloride, 25 grams of boric grain refining additives per gallon of water. The wire is connected to the negative pole of a unidirectional current source to act as a cathode, and an anode is inserted in the electrolyte adjacent the joint 4. A current of 1.7 amperes per linear inch of seam area has been found to be optimum for the deposition of a nickel jacket 9 from this electrolyte onto the wires specified.

.By placing the anode adjacent the joint 4 the thickest deposition of nickel jacket 9 is obtained over the joint 4, and the depth of the jacket 9 tapers gradually'thinner from the joint 4 to the last'extremity of the wire immersed in the electrolyte. It is desirable to deposit the thinnest jacket 9 possible, but if it is too thin it may leave spots of the wire and joint 4 exposed. On the other hand, if the jacket is too thick, it will be highly vulnerable to fatigue, and would actually serve to impair the life of the seam. It has been found that the thickness of the jacket 9 around the joint 4 and immediately adjacent ends of the strands 5, 6, 7 and 8 may be in the order of approximately 0.00001 to 0.001 inch.

Other methods are available for depositing a metallic jacket 9 on a wire. For example, brush plating technics have been successfully applied and electrolysis plating has also been used, but the method described above has been found preferable. By the method described above a jacket of high quality is achieved, which jacket tapers from its maximum thickness at the joint 4 to nothing at the extremities, so that it provides an improved surface for paper making and introduces no preferential fatigue points.

Also, metals other than nickel may be used, and particularly zinc, cadmium, tin, brass, copper, bronze, chromium, silver and gold are usable as jackets 9. However, nickel has been found to be preferable, not only 4 in its properties as a jacket 9, but in, its ease of handling as an electrolytic solution.

We claim: l. A scam in a Fourdrinier wire comprising the combination of oppositeends of said Fourdrinier wire containing warp strands and weft strands; a fused metal joint joining 'said opposite ends of said Fourdrinier wire; and a metallic jacket enclosing said joint and each of said warp strands and said weft strands adjacent to said joint. 2. In a seam for a Fourdrinier wire, the combination comprising:

opposite ends of said Fourdrinier wire in abutting relationship and containing warp and weft strands; a fused metal joint joining said opposite ends of said Fourdrinier wire; and a metallic jacket enclosing said joint-and said warp and weft strands adjacent said joint, said jacket being thickest about said joint and tapering gradually thinner away from said joint on said warp andweft strands. 3. In a seam for a Fourdrinier wire, the combination comprising: 1

opposite ends of said Fourdrinier wire in abutting relationship and containing warp and weft strands; a fused metal joint joining said opposite ends of said F ourdrinier wire; and a deposited metallic jacket-enclosing said joint and said warp and weft strands adjacent said joint-, said jacket about said joint having a thickness in the range up to 0.001 inch. 4. r In a seam for a Fourdrinier wire, the combination comprising:

opposite ends of said Fourdrinier wire containing warp strands and weft strands, and being positioned in abutting relationship; a fused metal joint joining said opposite ends of said Fourdrinier wire; and a deposited nickel jacket enclosing-said joint and said warp and weft strands adjacent said joint. 5. In a seam for a Fourdrinier wire the combination comprising:

opposite ends of said Fourdrinier wire arranged in abutting relationship, and containing bronze warp strands and stainless steel weft strands; a silver solder joint joining said opposite ends of said Fourdrinier wire; and a deposited nickel jacket enclosing said joint and said warp and weft wires adjacent to said joint. 6. In a seam for a Fourdrinier wire the combination comprising:

opposite ends of said Fourdrinier Wire arranged in and weft strands; a silver solder joint joining said opposite ends of said Fourdrinier wire; 7 and a deposited nickel jacket enclosing said joint and said warp and weft strands.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/60 Hays 113 33 FOREIGN PATENTS 4/37 Great Britain.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

abutting relationship, and containing bronze warp 

1. A SEAM IN A FOURDRINIER WIRE COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID FOURDRINIER WIRE CONTAINING WARP STRANDS AND WEFT STRANDS; A FUSED METAL JOINT JOINING SAID OPPOSTE ENDS OF SAID FOURDRINIER WIRE; 